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Where So-called Information Misinforms: TrumpWorld

Sir Winston Churchill once spoke of “A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Ironically, the line was intended to describe the intentions and interests of Russia in 1939. Eighty years later, the phraseology might be used to describe Donald Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia.

But that’s something we know. That there is a functioning connectivity between the two, and that for all practical purposes, it indecipherable. Moreover, the reason for the unintelligible nature of the relationship is hidden in plain sight.

That is to say, the more evidence presented, the more the principals deny and or dissemble. Mr. Trump, America’s Popinjay-in Chief, routinely counsels us not to trust the FBI, the Justice Department, the Courts, and the entirety of our national intelligence apparatus, while simultaneously advising members and former members of his administration not to comply with congressional subpoenas. Given that backdrop, and his stated praise of dictators, including, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, Rodrigo Duterte, Erdogan, Xi Jinping, to name just a few, picking low hanging fruit. One is almost tempted to surmise he thinks he’s King Donald, or some other potentate label. But I digress.

Back to the point of the post. According to the Washington Post and MSNBC, by October 9, 2019 (993 days in office), Trump had uttered 13,435 false or misleading statements. Some would call them lies, but why quibble? Anyway, you choose to look at it or characterize it, over the course of just less than a thousand days, the person who wears the title President of the United States has fixed his mouth to say something untruthful more than 13 times…each and every day.

Fast forward to present day. An interesting development is unfolding. Twitter and Facebook are reviewing and taking down posts that spread disinformation about how and when to vote on Election Day. I’ve seen and heard Trump and a number of his supporters, surrogates, and sycophants complaining that social media outlets are trying to destroy Trump and steal his presidency. OK, now is the time to pay close attention to how this claim breaks down.

Social media takes steps to sift out and discard disinformation. The President and his peeps say that’s an effort to take out their guy. Keep in mind, this is a man who’s preeminent political strategy seems to be the reckless and frequent infusion of untruths into the retail political marketplace. Several things seem clear from this turn of events:

While flatly denying it, Trump and his team appear to be tacitly conceding they need to continue their wanton propensity to sling false and misleading claims into the political orbit in order to be able to compete; say nothing of succeed.

Facebook and Twitter, while downplaying the role their hands-off tact played on the 2016 Election outcome, appear to tacitly admit that the mass misinformation conveyed on their platforms affected election results.

Finally, the most important element in ensuring a fair and appropriately administered election is an informed and (with emphasis) vigilant electorate.

If you are happy with how your national government has been run for the past three years, all’s well; no worries. Do nothing other than what you’ve been doing. Conversely, if you think our leadership has lost its way, and we are in need of a course correction, you need to stand up, step out and commit to doing your part, as well as encouraging and assisting others to do theirs. Be informed, be engaged, and by all means, be knowledgeable. It’s imperative to understand our current location. “Where So-called Information Misinforms: TrumpWorld!”

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